Within the hushed atmosphere of a hotel bar near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His carriage is effortlessly upright, his arms muscular beneath a plain tee. On stage, dancers can appear like mighty gods, yet frequently offstage they are small. This is not true for Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his popularity for princely characters and pas de deux work. Possessing fine features and piercing eyes, there's a hint of a brooding actor about him.
A Seamless Rise to the Top
Now 31, Ball is experiencing the crest of a career that has advanced smoothly. Growing up in Liverpool, he faced little ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Joining the esteemed training institution at 11, he moved directly into the troupe and was advanced each year, attaining the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished tackling meaty dramatic roles, especially the psychological angst found in Kenneth MacMillan's ballets.
"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a mental fatigue."
Ball's next starring role is in a talk, in an "Evening With" series designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's craft. He will walk the audience through a role, demonstrating his mental workflow while execution. Even in lighter works, the challenge is profound. "Don Quixote is one of the toughest from a skill perspective," he states.
The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Feelings
What about after a performance, when he has succeeded? "It's pretty good," he says. "But because I'm trying to extract all the emotion out of it, and get immersed in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious later. Following Mayerling I'm always like: God, what must people think?"
In person, Ball is reflective, polite, and quick to laugh at himself. But a dance maker once remarked on a "kind of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I'm quite active usually, but I do have a dark side," he confesses. "I kind of enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that negativity has been an instigator for good change."
Early Motivations and Creative Influences
His determination originated in early setbacks. Not doing well in competitions at school made him "driven!" This became fuel to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "pivotal" moment. "It flipped a switch, it made me go a bit fanatical," he remembers.
The next challenge is creating his own dance works. In his view, "organic movement has value." "Challenging the conventions is interesting, but just pretending that they’re not a reality any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be loaded with substance, drawing ideas from literature, music, and art.
Close-Up Performance and Private Dynamic
He additionally is interested in presenting dance in smaller spaces. "It was just really exciting," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"
Ball has created pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of faith between them is clear. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a daring lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t typically paired on stage at their main theater, which is perhaps beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always smooth sailing," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite cheerleader."
On Social Media and Bodily Image
On social media, followers can see videos from his dance films and images that highlight a athletic form. Does he mind that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not really. "The body is just what we work with, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he states. He relates it to viewing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various levels.
Ball describes his early self as "eager for success." Did it met his expectations? "I am conscious of how life is a different thing to the aspirations you made as a young person," he muses. He probably has about ten years of performing ahead. "I guess in the future, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."
